Touring the Sheds With Five

The idea was broached by Josh Abbott’s tour manager, Cody Kelley, on Twitter the other day of having an amphitheater tour revolving around five of the larger names in Texas/Red Dirt music acts. We think that’s a tremendous idea! Metal has Ozzfest. Alternative has Warped Tour, and so on. Granted, those productions are a larger scope than we’re talking, but there’s no reason a rotating festival of the biggest bands at huge venues wouldn’t draw and work. Sure, we can see any of these guys at our local Graham Wild West Central Rodeo Station, but putting them on a shed tour of the major markets in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado etc would be cool.

Trobadors, RRB, REK, JAB, Boland and Casey Donahew Band. These artists cross enough demographic lines and age groups that you could draw a bigger overall audience for the gigs. Making the numbers work would be tricky and you would have to draw very well to just break even. However, it might work with the right promoter behind it.

If you promoted this properly, you wouldn’t HAVE to include frat bands like Josh Abbott Band. It’d just be such a big deal, with legit acts, that everyone wanted to be at the event.

Departed— were MADE for an amphitheater. Cody Canada and Seth James would melt half the crowd.

Troubadours— I’m surprised they aren’t nationwide right now, with all this folk revival going on, let by Mumford and Sons. These guys deserve huge crowds and like I said, they are the right band for the current state of music. Let them take up the Tx/Okla flag and lead the folk charge.

Ryan Bingham— If you’ve never heard Bread & Water live, then at least watch a Youtube video. He’d be a great addition to a “mega tour”

Hayes Carll— He’s probably underrated, although I do believe his greatness is recognized, he’s still under-appreciated. Getting him on a tour like this would help him with some just-due.

Mike McClure Band— Go to one of his shows and you’ll agree that this trio belongs in whatever tour they’d like to attend.

This is MY list. I think all of these acts are respectable artistically and for their hard work. I also believe that hard promotion and strategic dates could result in sellouts.

Considering it was JAB’s tour manager that came up with the idea i’m thinking they are most likely taking part. Not my favorite either but from a business standpoint you need to draw from a varied group of fans.The Departed would be great they are a rock band and taylor made for a shed tour. McClure either as a the MMB or as The Great Divide would be great. Ading HAyes or Bingham to draw the Americana crowd in might work at varying the audience to an even greater degree. You gotta stack this heavy with the guarnteed draws in this scene to make this work.

I see your point, and it’s a damn good one. However, adding a band for the sole purpose of attracting the d-bag majority would sour the experience for the people who AREN’T d-bags.

I went to a Reckless Kelly concert once, with Josh Abbott playing afterwards. It was horrible. Frat guys yelling “Show me your tits!” throwing beers at each other, someone got on a table and mooned everyone.

An option would be to make it ONLY frat bands. That’d be easier to sellout, and that’s the purpose of this, I suppose.

Seth i’m glad I wasn’t at that show. Reckless is one of my all time favorite live acts that would have ruined it. Personally not a huge JAB fan or Casey Donahew fan etc…. However, for better or worse Those bands have done a tremendous job of buliding there fan bases and are here to stay. I like a rowdy show as musch as I do a accoustic listening room show depending on the ACT’s Charlie Robison’s live at Billy Bobs taping is a great example. Rowdy as hell but not out of control, that was a fun show.

Not sure how this would work in the Texas, OK market – to much competition? Why one more show when these guys play 200 some dates a year already in this market. Take it outside of this market and I think it would be HUGE!! Pat has been touring all over for decades now there is a pretty heavy TX Red Dirt following in the Carolina’s – heck we have even had a few venues that cater to just Red Dirt. You can always find a Texas transplant wherever you go.

In a perfect world my top 5 would have to be Pat, Jack, Stoney, Roger Creager and Adam Hood. It has to be successful from a business perspective and has to sell. With Eli Young and RRB reaching some national success you could do Pat, Eli Young, RRB, Wade Bowen, Stoney Larue. Or you could do the entire Willie and Friends route – Willie Nelson, Pat, RRB, Etc. Another route could be to match with someone with national success but that is Texas friendly – anyone remember the High Times and Hangovers tour that made it out of Texas but was Dierks Bentley, Ragweed and Pat on a few dates? Miranda Lambert may be another route or even someone like Gary Allan?

Ideally it would be more of a festival type show – an all day event maybe even a side stage – something like what Country Throwdown was trying to do but all Texas/RedDirt– an interactive experience with an acoustic side stage then a main stage with everyone sharing equal time. No more 20 minute sets to open for …

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